Journaling as the Antidote to Rumination

Journaling is one of those sanity-safeguarding practices that I had originally garnered a healthy amount of skepticism towards 

Why? 

My life pre-journaling was, like many people’s, riddled with rumination and obsession. But writing it all down provided an antidote that has given me just a precious bit more freedom. 

See, whenever I was upset or raddled, I would develop speeches in my head to whoever it was that I felt was the source of my frustration. From there, I would fine-tune the schpiel through incessant repetition in order to both perfect my arguments and avoid forgetting the one-liners that I thought would shoo-ins to rest my case. 

The thing is, I often found myself unable to let go of these thoughts, which in turn only served to sour my mood. 

I first sought out meditation to address the unchecked rumination. As I’ve discussed previously, meditation is absolutely a “must” in my self-care routine, but when I’m in an overthinking spiral, sitting down with no distractions is actually counterproductive for me – it just tends to provide a hotbed for more obsessive thinking. 

The other method I turned to was exercise, which, at first, seemed like a healthy alternative. The ideal feature of rigorous physical activity is that it is the one time when I feel my mental drama can truly take a back seat (as physical pain and grit come to the forefront of my brain). 

But… the thoughts always come rushing back as soon as the workout ends.

That’s where writing comes in. 

Taking pen to paper has given me the peace of mind of knowing that I’m not going to forget the killer one-liners (though in practice I rarely actually go on to use them against my “opponent”) and it also gives me the space to lay my frustrations outside rather than holding them inside my body. 

Surprisingly, getting into the habit of writing has also improved the quality of my meditation practice. Pouring my feelings into my journal before settling down for some mindful moments has allowed me to be more present with my breath and body – which is the whole point of meditating in the first place!

And not only does journaling evidently improve our mental states, but there’s growing evidence that it can also contribute positively to our physical wellbeing. 

Dr. Sarno, a longtime Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University, has succeeded in setting out a compelling case that holding negative emotions within can actually manifest as chronic, debilitating pain through heightened muscular tension (check out the incredible documentary, All the Rage, for more on TMS and how to avoid it). While just one facet, journaling represents an important pillar of Dr. Sarno’s treatment plan as an avenue to prevent negative sentiments from being kept inside. 

Let’s be clear – I don’t mean to preach that journaling can solve everything. I still find myself grappling in seemingly never-ending emotional spirals from time to time that I can’t seem to get a grip on, no matter how many healthy outlets I turn to. But oftentimes it proves instrumental in lessening the emotional blow. 

So I’m keeping at it.